Olson can talk knowledgeably about many political issues, but, as the founder of the American Sustainable Energy Foundation, his eyes really light up when he talks about energy.

"I believe the most critical thing is to break our dependence on foreign oil," he says. "We're sending $1.3 billion a day out of this country on oil alone.

"Things like children's health care — we can afford that," he says. "We'll be able to afford a lot of things when we do things to implement sustainable energy."

Olson would like to see Congress invest $30 billion a year in sustainable energy over the next 10 years for two causes: to offer loan guarantees to a broad spectrum of borrowers to develop such things as wind turbines, and for tax incentives for switchgrass — for those developing new equipment that's affordable to farmers. "Switchgrass can be grown on substandard land, so it doesn't drive up food costs," says Olson.

He also sees hope for energy from wind and hydrogen. "We can move as quickly from oil, gas and coal as we did a century ago from horse and buggy," he says.

"We don't need to be dependent on Mideast oil," he says. "We could have jobs created in the U.S." One of his goals would be to have two wind turbine plants in the 6th District. He'd also like to see three hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the Nicollet Mall and at the U of M.

In his tax attorney hat, he also can speak to taxes, and he doesn't understand how the middle class can vote for Republicans "while they're picking their pockets."

Olson says the '81 tax cuts were the greatest shift of wealth away from the middle class, the '86 tax cuts made it worse, and the Bush tax cuts "pulled out all the stops."

"People making $30,000 in taxable earned income pay 66 percent more (in taxes) on the next dollar than someone making more than $300,000, and living off capital gains and dividends," says Olson."The only way to afford to vote Republican," he says, "is if you make over $300,000, live off capital gains or are about to inherit $4 million from mom and dad.

"We need to change things so the middle class benefits, like health care for everyone, and we can afford it," he says.

He knows he has strong views that are in opposition to those of Congresswoman Bachmann."There's a definite difference on SCHIP," he says. "We have 47 million without health insurance — 85,000 kids in Minnesota alone.

"And Mrs. Bachmann has been an advocate for Bush's war in Iraq. That (attack) made as much sense as it would have to attack India or China after Pearl Harbor," says Olson. "We attacked our enemy's enemy."

He would also like to see the government fund its educational mandates. "The current 'incentives' are punishment," he says. In football, he says, if a guy got hurt, you didn't have him do wind sprints.

"Good quality, well-funded education is a strength," he says. "It's hard to invest too much in education."

Unlike Bachmann, Olson supports the North Star Line, and he's a strong environmentalist.

"There's enough wind energy 35 miles on each side of I-90 from Sioux Falls past Rochester that it could be the new Saudi Arabia of sustainable energy," he says, "And the Sixth District could be the new Silicon Valley."

"My knowledge as a tax lawyer will serve me well," says Olson. "I don't see Ms. Bachmann caring about the middle class. She tows the line for the wealthy, and I'm not sure she knows the difference."